BUREAUCRACY IN A COLLEGE OF ADVANCED EDUCATION

Abstract

This paper reports the results of a questionnaire survey of academic staff at the Western Australian Institute of Technology (WAIT). On the question of bureaucracy in its technical rather than its pejorative sense, the organization is perceived as being much more bureaucratic on some dimensions that others. Staff evaluation of bureaucracy indicates that some dimensions are highly valued and some are not, with no major discrepancy overall between evaluation and perception although significant differences do occur on some dimensions. Job satisfaction data indicate that senior staff have more favourable attitudes than lecturers and senior tutors. A number of questions were asked on authority relations and it was apparent that those in the sample perceiving a clear hierarchy of authority did not differ from the rest of the sample in their perception of the centralisation of organizational power. Respondents who saw the basis of authority as expert and referent were more satisfied than those who did not. Staff above the rank of head of department were seen as having less referent and coercive authority than heads of departments and senior lectures.